Dying From A Kiss
by Bayley Storme
Summary: "I am not ill, nor am I injured and yet here I lay, dying." A short story. Erik's perspective at the end of the novel.


This is a short story that I wrote for my creative writing class. We were able to use public domain characters so I could not resist writing about Erik. This takes place at the end of the novel-from Erik's perspective and of my own adaption.

* * *

 _ **1881**_

Her touch lingered on the marred and distorted flesh upon my cheek. She seemed to have no regard for it, as if it were normal-human. Her lips were like fire that trailed down my body and sped my heart to an alarming rate. The fire consumed every part of my body and I was held, engulfed by the flames that radiated along her arms and on to my cheeks. One rested on the distorted side, while the other rested on the human one. My eyes closed, taking in this feeling that I have never experienced. Christine…Christine had taken my soul in that instant and I knew that she would hold it forever. I was ruined in that moment, the moment that I look to in my grief as I waited for death to take me.

I lay here, in my coffin awaiting deaths grip. Truly a coffin that I had fashioned into a bed some time ago-an appropriate place to die. I am not ill, nor am I injured and yet here I lay, dying. Christine had led me there, she had taken my soul and left with it upon my command and now, I had no will to live on. My long held title of "Phantom" would soon fit me well. These are not dramatics, I am no fool. I will never love another and or be loved by another, what did I have left to live for? My limbs felt like lead and I am so very tired…

Here I lay, many stories below Paris, not too far off from the catacombs that held many of the dead. I would add to the collection, here in my own catacomb. My room was beginning to grow dim, the candles placed about had started to die, one by one. They were my only source of light, so far below the ground. Before the fire, I could hear the faint echoes of music drifting through the cellars. The screech of a poor sopranos vibrato, the faint fade of the orchestra, trying desperately to keep in tempo. They were all incompetent and it irked me to no end. For _my_ opera house to be lead by such poor excuse for managers, it was their fault that the opera ended in flames. I would take no credit for its destruction.

I was roused by the steady rhythm of approaching steps, I knew who it was from the way he approached. "By God, Erik! What are you doing? Get out of that bloody contraption!" Nadir, he had been a long time companion of mine and my disdain towards him had become part of our friendly banter. We had met in Persia and he had saved my life…not that I was grateful for that as in this moment, I lay wishing for death to take me.

"I am quite content where I am." I mumbled, closing my eyes again.

"Erik…you are still young. You have your whole life ahead of you! To let yourself waste away over a woman is-well, it's pathetic!" Nadir cried out in frustration, his hands wild.

"Then I am pathetic." I mumbled, "Now, leave me be." Nadir growled in anger and went off into the small kitchenette in my home. I could hear him, filling the kettle and lighting the stove. I closed my eyes and tried to drift off. I thought of Christine again, her angelic face, the tears that fell from her red puffy eyes. How she begged for me to spare her lovers life. That kiss had all but sealed my fate and I did as she requested. She was free, they were both free and she pulled off the noose around her lovers neck that I had secured and they were off…back to the world above. All I had left of her was the ring that was on my little finger, the one that her lover had given her-which I stole from around the chain on her neck and in which I proposed to her with. Perhaps I am as mad as they say.

Nadir came back in with two mugs of tea and I opened one eye to look at him. "I told you to leave." I growled in annoyance. Nadir sipped his tea and gave me an amused look.

"Indeed? Why don't you make me then." He knew I was far too weak to even try so I sighed and accepted that he would not be moving. We sat in silence and the tea he brought for me was left untouched. I am not sure what possessed me, perhaps it was the looming of death that made me confess.

"She kissed me….twice. On the lips," Nadir frowned and sat his mug aside. "And I let her go…She left with _him,_ her _lover_. I am sure they will be married soon…" The thought of Christine being married to anyone else, left an ache in my chest. I had never felt so alone, even though I had indeed been alone my entire life. A mother that casted me aside, a father that died before my birth. I all but raised myself and this is where it had gotten me. Alone in a coffin, dying from a kiss.

Christine did not stray from my mind for long. My angel, my protégé. How long had I haunted this Opera House? Decades perhaps…Christine continued to be my soul purpose to live. I molded her, with my voice, to become beloved to all of Paris with her own voice. We had all but perfected it as she grew from a small child to an adult. Did that make me a sick bastard-a poor excuse for a man-to love the woman she grew to be? I am decades older…how much I cannot say, there is no record of my birth.

Nadir let me continue to ramble, "I am ruined, Nadir. I cannot continue without her. She is my life." Nadir snorted, clearing thinking me an imbecile.

"Erik she is only one woman. I understand that you love her but you can love again! There are plenty of, fish in the sea-as they say."

"Do not tell me such filth! Did you ever marry again Nadir? No! Your wife died decades ago and here you are, looking after a monster-a ghost! You are as alone as I am. Do not tell me that there is another woman out there who can look at my monstrous face and feel love! Do not give me false hope! I am not waiting any longer! I am _done_ Nadir. I am so…tired!" Nadir was silent for some time after my rant. I felt a small amount of regret for what I had said but not enough to apologize for. He knew that I was right and damn him if he tried to say otherwise.

"What about me?" He whispered.

"What about you?" I grumbled.

"I may not be Christine but I have been by your side for decades Erik! Longer than anyone I have ever known and yet here you are, ready to give it up! Am I not enough?" He sounded desperate. I was not sure what to say for some time.

"Nadir…"

"No, Erik! No. Do not give me some shit answer!" We fell into silence again.

"How did you do it?" I mumbled. Nadir sighed.

"Do what?"

"Continue on…after your wife died."

"I had my son to look after…"

"And after he died?" Nadir looked up at me, straight on.

"I had you to look after."

I did not know what to say, imagine that. Never had anyone rendered me speechless except for Christine. Nadir had been my only companion, through all of the horrors of my life and I lay here, ready to die. But what did he expect? To live out my days, reading the damn paper and composing sorrowful music? To never know love-physical love. Could a companionship be worth such pain?

"Nadir I-"

"Hello?" I froze, ice coursing through my veins that all but left me paralyzed. I was so sure that I had heard that delicate voice in my head. _Her_ voice. Nadir got up and left the room, I could here hushed voices. Steps towards my room…I had expected Nadir but the steps were far too soft to be his.

"Christine…" I gasped as she entered the room. Suddenly ashamed that I lay here in a coffin. "Why…Why are you here?" I could not speak above a whisper. My heart raced with each passing second. She looked just as angelic as she had only days ago. However her eyes were red, dark circles surrounding them and I could not help to think that I had caused it. A face, once perfect was aged, grief stricken. What had I done?

"Erik…" She had never said it before-my name. I was always Angel or Phantom to her, until now. I was bare faced, my distorted flesh shown to her, all to bare as she came to my side. "I had to see you…I could not move on after the way we departed. Erik, you were my only friend…my angel, for so long and I can't bear to depart…not like that."

"So, you have come to say goodbye." I could feel the ache start to widen, to consume my entire heart.

"I came…" She looked down at her hands, choosing her words carefully. "Erik…I…"

I imagined what would come next. Erik, I never want to see you again. Erik, I hate you. Erik, you ruined my life and now you must die. I closed my eyes, bracing for the horror that I was so sure to come over her lips.

"Erik." She steadied herself and took a deep breath. "I love you!" I couldn't look at her, surly she was mocking me. Had Nadir put her put to this? I will kill him. "Erik?" I opened my eyes and looked at her, my pain so very evident. "You do not believe me…" She looked as if she were about to cry and then she leaned down and took my distorted face in her hands. Christine…I love you! I wished to tell her, to cry out with everything that I had left but Christine, _my_ Christine seemed to have captured my speech in her delicate hands. My heart raced once again and she placed her lips upon my own. Then on my forehead, each cheek-yes, the distorted one even! She kissed all over my face and whispered against my lips. "I love you."

I suddenly felt warm, peace washing over me and I smiled, when had I ever smiled if not out of sick pleasure? She loved me…My breath started to slow and my eyes stayed close. I wanted to live in that moment forever.

"Christine…I am tired…" I mumbled, unable to express my love for her, unable to say what I wanted. The sudden exhaustion gripped me and would not let me go.

"Sleep, Erik…I'll be where when you wake…" She held on to my cold skeletal hands and I began to drift. Everything was perfect and it was in this moment that I could finally let go.

 _Erik: XXXX-1881_


End file.
